JMSE Webinar| Celebrating World Ocean Day 2026
JMSE Webinar| Celebrating World Ocean Day 2026
8 June 2026
Marine Protected Areas, Ocean Conservation, Biodiversity Protection, Blue Planet, Marine Biodiversity, Ecosystem Restoration, Sustainable Oceans, Nature-Based Solutions, Climate Resilience
Welcome from the Chair
World Oceans Day, celebrated annually on 8 June, is a global reminder of the fundamental role the oceans play in sustaining life on Earth. Covering more than 70% of our planet, the oceans regulate climate, support biodiversity, provide food and resources, and connect communities worldwide. At the same time, they face unprecedented pressures from pollution, climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable human activities. In this context, international scientific collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue are more important than ever.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the World Oceans Day Webinar 2026, bringing together leading experts from across the world to discuss urgent priorities for ocean protection, marine sustainability, and technological innovation. Today’s program will explore key themes, including strong marine protected areas, marine pollution and microplastics, blue carbon ecosystems, and climate adaptation, as well as advances in deep-sea exploration and engineering.
We are honored to host several distinguished speakers, such as Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui, who will be delivering a presentation on China’s path in deep-sea exploration technologies; Dr. Pedro Brito, who will be discussing the importance of protecting marine ecosystems; Dr. Giuseppe Suaria, who will focus on textile microfibers and marine pollution; and Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet, whose talk will highlighting the ecological significance of blue carbon marsh systems. I hope today’s discussions will inspire collaboration, innovation, and meaningful action to ensure the future of our blue planet.
Date: 8 June 2026
Time: 2:30 pm CEST| 8:30 am EDT | 8:30 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 891 5251 4419
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Event Chairs
Dr. Alberta Mandich is an accomplished scientist and Editorial Board Member affiliated with the Interuniversity Consortium INBB—Biostructures and Biosystems National Institute in Rome, Italy. She is also associated with MeRiS—Mediterraneo Ricerca e Sviluppo APS in Favara, Italy. Dr. Mandich has expertise in biostructures, biosystems, and interdisciplinary research that bridges biological sciences and technological applications. Throughout her career, she has contributed to advancing research collaborations across institutions.
Invited Speakers
Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Deep Sea Technology Research Lab, School of Engineering, Westlake University in Hangzhou, China. His work focuses on advanced marine and deep-sea engineering technologies. He specializes in multidisciplinary design optimization and its applications in ocean systems. Prof. Cui is actively involved in the development of innovative deep-sea equipment, including robotic fish and bio-inspired technologies. His research also includes live fish-based marine environmental monitoring systems and the miniaturization of ocean sensors.
Dr. Pedro Brito is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Oceanography and Marine Environment Division of the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) in Lisbon, Portugal. His work focuses on marine environments and the impacts of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems. He has strong expertise in the study of rare earth elements (REEs) in marine systems and their biogeochemical behavior. Dr. Brito also applies advanced analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), in environmental research.
Dr. Giuseppe Suaria is a Section Board Member and researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR) in Lerici, Italy. His research focuses on plastic pollution and its growing impact on marine environments. He has strong expertise in marine litter monitoring, including the study of microplastics and microfibers. Dr. Suaria’s work contributes to understanding the distribution and sources of marine debris across different marine ecosystems. He is actively engaged in research addressing global environmental challenges related to ocean pollution.
Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet is an Editorial Board Member affiliated with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, USA. She is a distinguished researcher in the fields of paleoecology and paleoclimate, with a strong focus on long-term environmental and climate change processes. Her work explores blue carbon ecosystems, particularly tidal and salt marsh environments, and their role in climate regulation. Dr. Peteet also contributes to climate modeling and studies related to marsh restoration and coastal resilience. Her research provides important insights into how coastal ecosystems respond to environmental change over time.
Registration
This is a FREE webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Relevant Special issue
"Addressing/Mitigating Anthropogenic Impacts in Coastal Marine Environments: Interdisciplinary Approaches"
Special Issue Editors: Dr. Alberta Mandich and Dr. João Pedro Barreiros
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026
Program
|
Speaker/Presentation |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST Asia |
|
MDPI Introduction |
2:30 pm – 2:40 pm |
8:30 pm – 8:40 pm |
|
Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich (Chair) Chair Introduction |
2:40 pm – 2:50 pm |
8:40 pm – 8:50 pm |
|
Prof. Dr. Weicheng Cui Exploring the Deep: China’s Path from Jiaolong to Fendouzhe |
2:50 pm – 3:10 pm |
8:50 pm – 9:10 pm |
|
Dr. Pedro Brito Protecting Oceans, Preserving Life, Securing our Future |
3:10 pm – 3:30 pm |
9:10 pm – 9:30 pm |
|
Dr. Giuseppe Suaria Textile microfibers in the marine environment: sources, accumulation, methods and transport dynamics |
3:30 pm – 3:50 pm |
9:30 pm – 9:50 pm |
|
Dr. Dorothy M. Peteet Blue Carbon: Hudson Marshes and the Secrets they Hold |
3:50 pm – 4:10 pm |
9:50 pm – 10:10 pm |
|
Q&A |
4:10 pm – 4:25 pm |
10:10 pm – 10:25 pm |
|
Closing of Webinar |
4:25 pm – 4:30 pm |
10:25 pm – 10:30 pm |
|
|
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
